Odin's Gift
by pandemicwolf
Summary: This story is based on the history and the world of Assassin's creed. The year is 995 AD. Norway has been unified for over a 100 years. A powerful warrior who had the claim to the crown, and the blood of Harald Hårfagre overthrew Håkon Jarl, the king of Norway. (Read the rest of the prologue on the first page of the story.
1. Chapter 1: The Messenger

**Odin's gift**

_**Wisdom is born through pain**_

**Firstly: Different meanings of names. And other translations of Norwegian and Norse :3**

Hulda = Old Norse name, means secret or the one who hides

Hraustligir / Fljòtrmordvìg = Assassin – Dauntless / Swift murder

Godahùsaudigr = Templar - Rich temple

Miklagard – Istanbul

Austerveg – The path towards the east

**Characters**

Hulda Freyrdottir

Olafr Tryggvason – King of Norway (995 A.D – 1000 A.D)

Olav Tvennumbruni – Chief of Borg/Lofotr

Ask Olavsson – Olav Tvennumbruni's son

**Prologue**

The year is 995 AD. Norway has been unified for over a 100 years. A powerful warrior who had the claim to the crown, and the blood of Harald Hårfagre overthrew Håkon Jarl, the king of Norway.  
The new king, Olafr Tryggvason starts his christening of Norway the year after, by founding the settlement of Trondheim. One of his first targets to christen is the large area of Hålogaland in the north.  
One of the large settlements in Hålogaland was Borg in Lofotr. Borg is a centre of power in the surrounding area, both economically and spiritually, and a powerful Jarl sits with the power. Olav Tvennumbruni is determined to keep his heathen practices as both a chief and a hamram.

The christening of Norway and Iceland has begun.

"Menskr hverr glettask fròdleikr hafa mæta slægr nyta" – Makt si må ein mann med vit høveleg bruke – **A man with knowledge must use it wisefully.**

**Chapter 1. The messenger**

The cold wind and snow stinged as hot coal against his cheeks. He had to reach Borg to deliver the message to the Chief. King Olafr said that the messenger would be killed if he didn't reach the target in time. The animal skin with crude runes on the inside, and a wooden cross was to tell the chief of Borg what terms the king would propose to him during this christening. All heathen practices and rituals was to be banned, and the chief and his subjects was to be baptised.  
The messenger's horse struggled on the slippery cover of snow in the hills of Hålogaland's outland. "Come on! We have to give this message to Olav Tvennumbruni!" the messenger made the horse go even faster.

Everybody sat inside of the longhouse on Borg. A terrible storm made it unbareable outside, and therefore, Olav allowed the thralls as well to stay in the house. The chief and his family stayed in the house part, his closest friends stayed with him, and the thralls stayed in the part where the animals slept. A girl named Hulda Freyrsdottir stayed with her family at the kings side, consisting of her father: Frey Eirikson, and her two brothers. Her father was anxious over the recent shift of power in Bjørvin. He talked about a group of people called Godahùsaudigr (Rich temple). Freyr was prone to expressing his concern, and he often talked to the chief of the matter. The Godahùsaudigr was clearly something dangerous, and both the chief and Freyr was scared.  
Hulda sat in the arms of the chief's son: Ask, and listened to her father's and his father's conversations. Ask stroked her hair oblivious, while he tried to look like he didn't spy on his father's conversation. Hulda pretended like she was sleeping in Ask's arms not to get caught. Ask suddenly leant down to her ear, "Could you imagine me sitting there, and discussing such matters as a chief?"

I looked up at him in disbelief, "Do you question your abilities to be a leader?"  
His eyes were serious, but he smiled, "No, I'm talking about how paranoid and anxious the maters they speak of are. Not my ability to them.

I could get what he meant by that, and I agreed. My father's and the chief's discussions was highly anxious and paranoid these days. It didn't surprise me as the new king killed the last kings son. People spoke that Olafr Tryggvason killed Erlend – the son of the last king, by throwing an ore from his ship right at Erlend. The story was with no doubt exaggerated, but no one made these stories about cowards. Also, he killed Erlend none the less.

Ask took a hold of my hands, and stroked them gently, "I'm looking forward to the day I become chief of Lofotr. I'll be just, and powerf-"

Ask didn't even get to finish his sentence as a young man stumbled in through the door. He clutched an animal pelt in his left hand, and a small knife in the other. The man walked quickly up to the chief's seat. The chief sat in his throne with his wife Åse. They sat in a tall ornamented seat, with animal pelts spilling over the edges of the seat. The chief raised his eyebrow, and shouted out, "Who are you, and why didn't you bow?!"  
The man lied the animal pelt in the chiefs lap, and he smiled, "I'm a messenger from the king – Olafr Tryggvason, and I think you might forget my own forgetfulness when you hear what the king asks.  
Olav unfolded a wooden cross from the pelt and held it in front of him, "What is this?" he looked at the crude runes on the back of the pelt, he mumbled to himself, "I knew this day would come."

The messenger coughed, "The King wants you to know that he'll make a visit in a fourteenth night under the next full moon, and that he wants you as the local Hamram to encourage everyone in your villages to turn away from your heathen ways, and towards the Christian faith."  
Olav laughed, a deep, bellowing laugh, "And what if we refuse?"  
The messenger smiled, "If you refuse, the king will have to find ways to 'convince' you otherwise."  
He then looked around the room, and fiddled with his knife, "A warning would be at its place."  
He grabbed the hair of a male thrall, and carved a cross with evenly long 'arms' in his face. The messenger laughed as the thrall screamed in pain, "This is a warning of what you're standing up against if you refuse!"  
My father sprinted forwards, and stabbed the messenger in the back, "Godahaùsaudigre, I knew your kind would rise in the ranks."  
The messenger laughed, "You can kill me Freyr, but new people who are allied to us are going to come for you" his eyes turned back and he collapsed on the floor.

My father turned around with a terrified look on his face, and he looked straight at me. His mouth formed silent words, "I'm so sorry Hulda."


	2. Chapter 2: Training

**Odin's gift**

_**Wisdom is born through pain**_

**Firstly: Different meanings of names. And other translations of Norwegian and Norse :3**

Hulda = Old Norse name, means secret or the one who hides

Hraustligir / Fljòtrmordvìg = Assassin – Dauntless / Swift murder

Godahùsaudigr = Templar - Rich temple

Miklagard – Istanbul

Austerveg – The path towards the east

**Characters**

Hulda Freyrdottir

Olafr Tryggvason – King of Norway (995 A.D – 1000 A.D)

Olav Tvennumbruni – Chief of Borg/Lofotr

Ask Olavsson – Olav Tvennumbruni's son

**Chapter 2. **

"Father, I need answers! What happened in there?"  
I could hear Ask's voice through the door. Olav was quick to shout back at him, "This war is none of your business, and this information will do you more harm than good in these times who are yet to come."

"Father I have to know which war I participate in to choose weapons and allies!" Ask's voice was dripping with a pleading tone.  
Olav sighted, "Godahaùsaudigre is an organisation better known as the Templars. Our kind has been at war with these Templars for hundreds of years. I was hoping to keep you out of this, so our people would be uninteresting for the Godhaùsaudigre after my passing." He sighted, "It seems like they found a great interest in me and Freyr after all."

A silence filled the room, but Ask's voice interrupted "Father, you have spoken much, but yet, you have failed to give me answers."  
Olav couched, "Son, we're something called: Fljòtrmordvìg. Hulda's family is it as well. We fight for what we think is right. I and Hulda's father was introduced to an order when we travelled to Miklagard at the end of Austerveg. Wise men showed us the true way. They showed us something to fight for, a cause which reaches further than our different gods and lives do. One more thing: HULDA, I KNOW YOU ARE EAVESDROPPING!"  
I opened the door carefully and slid in. Olav's judgemental eyes followed me, "Hulda, did you sincerely believe that you could eavesdrop on me?"  
I could feel Ask's intense stare, and I cleared my throat, "I thought so. At least until I go the information I needed."  
Olav's big bushy brows formed a V in his forehead, "Well, you heard what kind of danger you find yourself in."  
I bent my head, "Are you sure of my involvement in this?"  
"I know that your father is very central in this, and that you'll be involved in this because of him killing that messenger", he nodded over towards the pale corpse of Gudhùsaudigr messenger.  
Ask interrupted, "Then how am I affected by this if it was Freyr who did this?"  
"You foolish boy! An attack from any of our kind will spring back on all of us. Gudhùsdigre is neither kind, nor fair. Furthermore are we brothers and sisters. They'll use every single chance they get to punish us. Therefore, you're in as much trouble as Hulda. The question is: Who of you will be the most involved?"  
My father must've slid in through the door in secret as he suddenly joined in to the conversation, "Hulda, it is best if I explain all of this to you."  
Olav nodded, "I'll explain to Ask. You go and tell Hulda."

The wind had calmed down a bit outside, and I and my father made our way down to our own longhouse. Our family's longhouse was much smaller than Olav's, but we lived better than many others because of my father's close connection to the Chief, and the former king.  
Father took a hold of my green cloak and placed it neatly on the table in the dining area of the house. His slim hands wandered down to his sword – which he had at his hip at all times - he twisted the top of the handle on his beloved sword and pulled out a key. The key must belong to the room furthest north in our house. It was always locked, and no one but my father had the key to it.  
"Follow me, Hulda." My father exceeded with swift movements towards the northern part of our longhouse. He put the key into the keyhole and twisted it carefully, "You'll never be the same again once I open this door. Are you sure that you want this?"  
I nodded carefully. Father sent me a forced smile, and shoved the door open.

He disappeared into the darkness of the room, "I never thought of giving you this burden Hulda. I was going to wait for your three younger brothers to come of age, but I see now that this cause have called upon you." He came out of the room and took a look at my sceptical features, "Haven't you had any dreams about a shadow. Dreams about stalking people in a group of shadows."  
I could recall a few dreams. The shadow was central in those dreams, but I was always alone. My shadow was always alone. It was never in a group, as my father described.  
Father lighted up the room with a torch, and he waved his hand, "Come now, Hulda. This is going to change your life."  
I obliged and walked straight into the room.

The room was quite large, really. It was at least seven metres wide, and ten metres long. The walls beside the door was filled with weapons – five longbows, four swords, eight axes, and many other weapons, which I had never seen before.  
My father smiled, "This was my life before I married your mother. I hoped to get an older son to pass this too, but these dangerous times require new blood into the order. Come with me." He walked into the middle of the room.  
The floor of the room was made of packed earth, but it was interrupted by a circle in the middle of the room. The circle was filled with fine sand. My father lead me into the circle.  
We sat down in the middle of the circle, and my father continued, "Have you ever experienced the feeling of using every single sense at once?"  
It was a strange question, "I don't know what you mean by that, father."  
"Hulda, think! Have you ever been in a crowd of people, and for example, instantly known who you could trust?"  
"I felt today that the messenger was not to be trusted. I knew it the instant I looked at him."  
My father smiled, "What if I could tell you that, I and Olav saw it as well?"  
"I would be amazed."  
"This, sense of ours is natural to any man and woman. Its' just that we need to train it up. You were obviously born with the talent, and maybe Ask is born with it as well, but I highly doubt it. Your sense can evolve and develop, and you can learn how to use it better. I can teach you what you need to know to join us."  
"What are you going to teach me to fight for?"  
Father sent me a serious look, "I'm not here to decide what you are to fight for. You'll know what to fight for when your training is finished."  
"Excuse my asking, father. But what are you and Olav fighting for?"  
He placed a dagger in my hand, "I'll let you know when the time is right."

He then took a few steps back in the soft sand, and pointed a similar dagger towards me, "Now, Hulda. Attack me."  
I hesitated. Did he really want me to attack him? Why would he do that?  
My father sighted, "Come on, child! Olafr will be here in two weeks!"  
I quickly shifted the weight on my feet, and launched towards him. He blocked my arm, and held the dagger up against my throat, "Dead. See how easy it was for me to get you vulnerable?"  
I clenched my teeth together in anger and nodded.  
My father spun the knife in his hand - but how he could to that when he lacked one of his fingers on his right hand was beyond me - and continued, "You should be able to learn a lot in fourteen days."


	3. Chapter 3: A question of honour

**Odin's gift**

_**Wisdom is born through pain**_

* * *

**I'll try to include translations of Norse, Norwegian and other scandinavic languages :)**

* * *

Hraustligir / Fljòtrmordvìg = Assassin – Dauntless / Swift murder

Godahùsaudigr = Templar - Rich temple

* * *

**Characters**

Hulda Freyrdottir

Olafr Tryggvason – King of Norway

Olav Tvennumbruni – Chief of Borg/Lofotr

Ask Olavsson – Olav Tvennumbruni's son

* * *

.

"Menskr hverr glettask fròdleikr hafa mæta slægr nyta" – Makt si må ein mann med vit høveleg bruke – **A man with knowledge must use it wisefully.**

.

* * *

**Chapter 3. The shadow you won't see before it's too late**

Father was always impressed of how fast I learned the different aspects of the training. He told me that Ask's training with Olav went slower, and that I had a natural talent for this kind of work.  
I had learned how to attack properly, how to shoot with a longbow, use battle-axes, free running, spears, combat with sword, and the most important: Using the enemy's weapon to my advantage. The training was exhausting, and it wasn't a single day that every inch of my body didn't hurt.

"Now, put me to the ground Hulda. You're ready if you can manage to do it." Father put his arms up in a guard in front of him, with the familiar daggers clenched in his closed fists, "Come on child! Olafr won't wait for you to get ready."  
I took the small axes out of my belt and spun them in my hands, "I hope it's okay if I use my weapon of choice, old man." And then I launched towards him. My axe caught one of his knives, and I yanked it out of his hand and flung it across the room. I hacked after him and it seemed like I had the upper hand. Therefore, was I surprised when he blocked my arm, caught it, and flung me in the opposite direction of the knife i threw away.  
When I opened my eyes, he was bent over me with one of my axes and his knife at my throat, "Too bad. You need to focus throughout the fight to win it". He handed me my axe, so i was quick and yanked his other knife out of his hand.  
I planted my foot in his chest and shoved him far enough away from me for me to get up and launch towards him. The surprising blow from my kick made him lose his balance. Father lost his footing as i launched straight into him.  
He smiled as I held my axe against his throat, "I am so proud of you! You are ready."

I helped him up and he proceeded to dust of his woollen tunic, "I got a message this morning regarding two possible targets in the area. They have supposedly put up a temporary shelter in the forest, not far from the shore where we store our ships. I think we will have to make a visit to these two." He sent me a smirk, and handed me one of his daggers, "Be ready when night falls. You and Ask will fulfil your first assassinations today." He then left the room, leaving me alone.

I studied the dagger he handed me. The shiny blade reflected the light from the torches on the wall behind me, and it made the carvings in the steel glimmer. A part of one of the verses from Håvamål (Odin's speech) was carved into the steel on each side of the blade: "Makt si må ein mann med vit hovsamt høveleg bruke – A man with knowledge must use his power with care."  
Father told me that I was going to get my best weapon engraved with a quote, which fit me and my cause. Olav had made it a new tradition to identify the members of fljòtrmordvig in Norway. Father always told me about how he had to cut off his right ring finger to be recognised as a brother in Miklagard, and that he wanted a mark, which we could get a hold of here, in addition to the fingerless hand. I would receive my weapon and the mark - which he referred to as "Odin's gift"- when he looked upon me as ready.

"Have you heard the news?" Ask's voice echoed in the small room.  
"That we have a target each waiting for us in the forest?" I flipped the dagger in my hand.  
"Have your father said anything about how we compare in skills and training?"  
"Why do you wonder Ask?" I laughed, "afraid of being beaten by a girl?"  
"NO! It's just that my father doesn't tell me anything."  
I flipped the dagger again, "My father haven't told me anything special."  
Ask sneaked his arms around me, and whispered into my ear, "I'm looking forward to tonight. We will make it through the initiation."  
I leant my head towards his cheek, and the feeling made me remember when we could be together without thinking of the oncoming threat from the south. He kissed my cheek, and exited the room.  
I flipped the knife in my hand, and threw it like an arrow right into the wall behind me, and then I turned around. The light from the torches reflected in the polished blade of the dagger, which hit right in the centre of my target on the wall.

A smile snuck over my face, "I'm ready"

Father and Olav crouched down behind some bushes. Each of them held a dagger, and they handed one to me and Ask. Father made silent gestures to show me which direction I had to search. Olav did the same for Ask, "You'll both have one chance at this initiation. If you fail, you're out. Remember children: Nothing is true, Everything is permitted. Now go!"

The wind was quite strong, but I decided that it was safest to free run in the trees. Ask had obviously decided for the ground, and he ran into the forest. I took a leap up a fallen tree, and continued deep into the forest. Faint human trails was scattered over the trail. Where could my target be? I pinged on my eagle vision in an effort to locate it. Then I saw it: a small golden thread, which went further into the woods.

I sat in a tree over the target's camp. Ask was not here yet, so I had much time to evaluate the situation. The shelter was crude, and consisted of walls of animal skin, earth, and wood. I could easily take out my target from the air if it came out, but the storm made it unlikely that they would. How could i possibly reach my target without alerting Ask's target. I flung down from the tree and snuck around to a bush in front of the opening to their shelter. The targets sat in the makeshift shelter together, they discussed something, but I couldn't make out what.

I took the knife in my hand and flipped it a few times. Would I be able to take out the target with this?  
Not without alerting the other.

I jumped when a hand took a hold of my shoulder. My reflexes made me jolt towards the threat, raising my knife. A petrified Ask was pressed against the snow with my knife against his throat.  
"BY THE GODS! Ask you have to think!"  
He struggled to breathe, and stuttered out, "I was just looking for an opportunity to attack and then, I saw you sitting here"  
I sighted, "Well, I'll throw my knife and you'll attack from the side of the shelter. Is that ok?"  
Ask smiled, "Sounds like a plan!" He snuck up to the side of the tent while I prepared to throw the knife. I gathered all the determination I had, rose up and threw the knife. Ask ran up and knocked out his target.

Then I heard it. A gargling voice, "W- w- who are you?"  
I ran up to see that I had just hit him in right over his collarbone, and that he had fallen backwards from the power of the throw.

The man looked terrified. His blue eyes widened in shock as he saw me crouching down beside him. Words trying to escape his throat drowned in the sound of him chocking on his own blood. I was certainly not going to let him drown in his own blood – I owed him that.

The man flinched as i put my hand behind his neck and proceeded - in a ceremonial fashion, "Måtte du få evig liv hos gudene i Valhall" I pulled out the knife and proceeded to stab it straight into his heart. His eyes widened before they got the look as if smoke covered them. I had killed my first target.

**_\- Translation -_**

_Måtte du leve evig hos gudene i Valhall = Oh, must you live eternally with the gods in Valhalla_

* * *

Ask looked down at the other man, who bleed from his split lip after Ask's hit. He looked down at his target, "I don't know if I can do it, Hulda"

I took a carefull step towards him, "Do you want me to finish him off for you?"  
He didn't even answer me before he stabbed the man right in the throat, "No, Hulda! I certainly don't need your help!" his left eye twitched,  
"Ask, are you okay?"  
He clenched his dagger until his knuckles whitened, and stabbed it into his target's face "My father will not be pleased if he hears that a girl is better than me at this task." His left eye twitched again. He sprung up and swung his knife towards me. I dodged it, barely.  
"What are you doing, Ask?!" I was startled.  
He sent me a wicked grin, "I'll just tell father that you was killed by your own target." His knife swung towards me again and he tried to jolt forward to stab me, but I managed to dodge his knife every time.  
I saw my chance and threw my foot up in a kick against his hand. My foot hit him hard over the back of his hand, but I only managed to slice up the bottom of my foot. I was startled by the pain, and fell to the ground. Ask ran up and sat down on my hands with his knife raised over me. He whispered to himself, "It'll be okay. My father will be proud that I managed to take out two targets. He will be proud." His knife graced down above my right eye. The knife left a deep cut.  
I took a hold of his hand with the knife, which was brought down on me again and I flipped Ask over on his back. I took the dagger from him when I sat on top of him, "Don't make me do this, Ask."  
He laughed manically. The prospect of disappointing his father with me having more skills, and his first murder had made him go mental. I forced the knife out of his hand and threw it into the shelter behind us, "I won't let you throw away everything because of this moment, Ask! I'll leave you here to come to your senses." I stood up and leapt in the direction we came from. My foot was bleeding quite a bit, and it was hard to run through the snow. I ran and ran. Would I ever make it?

Then I saw them by the fallen tree where we started. My vision was foggy because of all the blood, which ran from the gash over my eye. Father's eyes widened as he saw me, "What happened to you? Were you attacked by the target?"  
Olav ran towards me, "Where's Ask?"  
I wiped away blood, so I could see Olav's face, "He attacked me after we killed our targets. Ask tried to kill me. I ran from him. He was lying by the shelter where we found our targets, when I ran away from him."  
Father rushed forward and held my face to examine the deep gash over my eye, "Your eye's not damaged. So, this was Ask's doing?"  
Tears welled up in my eyes as I whimpered, "He attacked me since he saw my skills as a threat against his own honour."  
Olav ran into the forrest to search for Ask.  
Father gave me a long and hard look, "Go home. Clean your wounds. I'll go with Olav to find Ask."

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**I'm working on the next chapter. It will hopefully be finished soon :)**

**Do you have any tips or remarks to my story? Do not hesitate to PM me!**

**\- Pandemicwolf**


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